From:Florence Nightingale Museum
Name/TitleTortoise Shell Lancet
About this objectA lancet with a tortoise shell casing. Lancets are used to prick the skin to draw blood.
This is part of a set of instruments that Florence Nightingale gave to Miss Blower on the 1st January 1879 on her departure for Montreal General Hospital.
This object is not on display.
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This object is part of a medical instrument case used during the nineteenth century by Helen Blower, who was a nurse. Blower attended the Nightingale training school for nurses in 1874 and in 1875 was appointed as Sister to introduce Nightingale style nursing in Montreal General hospital. In 1879, Blower was appointed Sister Matron of St Bartholomew’s Hospital in 1879 and in this year Nightingale gave this medical instrument case as a gift to Blower [Ref1].
Nightingale’s work in transforming hospitals and nursing was supported by scientific evidence of Germ theory in 1861 and Joseph Lister in 1867 who suggested cleaning and the process of sterilisation medical equipment before surgery. Lister work encouraged stainless steel equipment and this meant it was not important for surgeons to have a complete set of instruments. This particular set was made by John Weiss & Son and were a London based surgical instrument company founded in 1787 [Ref2]. John Weiss & Son became producers of reliable and quality medical instruments that became one of the suppliers to the British army and by the end of the nineteenth century were one of few companies to produce surgical equipment [Ref3]. As scientific and medical understanding developed to modern hospital the increase demand of steel medical instruments were needed for their sterilisation process so John Weiss & Son became a popular distributor of stainless steel medical instruments.
Ref1 - Florence Nightingale Museum, ‘Nursing & Midwifery’, 2022, Florence Nightingale Museum < https://www.florence-nightingale.co.uk/a-gift-from-florence-nightingale-1879/ >[accessed 26 May 2022].
Ref2 - Science Museum Group, ‘John Weiss and Son Limited’, 2022, Collection < https://collection.sciencemuseumgroup.org.uk/people/ap26340/john-weiss-and-son-limited >[accessed 26 May 2022].
Ref3 - Ibid.
Object research undertaken by Amy Chandler, Digital Research Volunteer 2022.
MakerJohn Weiss & Son
Maker RoleManufacturer
Date Madec1879
Period19th Century
Place MadeLondon, United Kingdom
Place Notes62. Strand
Medium and MaterialsTortoise Shell, Steel
Inscription and MarksWeiss
Measurements5.8cm folded
9.5cm unfolded
Object TypeMedical Instruments
Object number0176.02
Copyright LicenceAll rights reserved